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Civic Engagement and the Youth Vote in the 2008 Elections

The Berkman Center co-hosted a Forum event with the Harvard Kennedy School Institute of Politics on May 14 at 6:00PM. The Forum focused on Youth, Politics, and Civic Engagement in the 2008 election year.

The John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum is one of the world's premier arenas for political speech, discussion and debate. Located at the heart of the John F. Kennedy School of Government, the Forum regularly hosts heads of state; leaders in politics, government, business, labor and the media; academics; community organizers; and artists. In addition to speeches, debates and panel discussions on pressing issues, the Forum has sponsored television and radio programs, film screenings, and theatrical productions.

Perhaps the most unique and important feature of the Forum is the requirement that all speakers participate in a question and answer session with members of the audience, a practice that invariably results in lively exchanges. Forum events are open to Harvard students, faculty and staff, as well as the general public and the press. They are carried live via the Internet, and are often recorded for broadcast by C-SPAN, National Public Radio, and local cable television. You can watch video of past Forums online or order a copy by mail.

Since its founding in 1978, the Forum has hosted more than one-thousand events, seen by live audiences totaling more than 650,000 people and millions more via cable television, teleconferencing and the Internet.